


Rewrite the Stars

by BelfastDocks



Category: Slayers (Anime & Manga)
Genre: Concurrent with Revolution/Evolution-R, Enemies to Friends to Lovers, Enemies to Lovers, F/M, Falling In Love, Hate to Love, Love/Hate, Magic, Post-TRY, Romance, Sex, Sex Magic, anime continuity
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2021-03-02
Updated: 2021-03-10
Packaged: 2021-03-14 10:06:59
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 7
Words: 8,595
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/29790312
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/BelfastDocks/pseuds/BelfastDocks
Summary: "It always cleared his head some to be with her, though he never would have guessed such a thousand years earlier when he was created to destroy her kind."
Relationships: Filia Ul Copt & Xellos, Filia Ul Copt/Xellos
Comments: 3
Kudos: 10





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> **Anime Continuity:**  
>  \- Concurrent with _Slayers Revolution_ and _Evolution-R_ , heavy references to _Slayers TRY_
> 
>  **Author's Notes:**  
>  \- I mostly wanted to write some Xellos/Filia smut.  
> \- Some people are great at writing slow burn. I'm not.  
> \- I honestly have no idea how long it takes a dragon egg to hatch. Considering how long dragons live in the Slayers universe, I've internally debated whether it would hatch in a few months or a couple of years. In other fandoms, I've read dragon eggs can take 20 years to 150 years to hatch. I ain't got that kinda time, so I ran with one year for these sketches.  
> \- On that note, these are sketches, written as I get inspiration. Sketches are not chronological.
> 
>  **Credits & Inspiration**  
> \- I got the idea of Lord Beastmaster's seal from the awesome author Bogbees, who wrote a beautiful fanfiction titled _Vulnerability is Admitting the Truths of the Heart_ (on AO3), in which Xellos gives Filia Lord Beastmaster's Seal as a wedding gift. I sincerely hope they won't mind me using the idea of Lord Beastmaster having a seal. Please go read their story if you haven't, it's really lovely and one of my favorites.  
> \- Chapter titles are lyrics from the song _Rewrite the Stars_ , from the movie _The Greatest Showman_.
> 
>  **Disblamers and the Like**  
>  \- I obviously don't own _Slayers_ and let's face it, none of you thought I did, so moving along...  
> \- Let's heed the rating, people. **M** stands for masterb- um, mature. At least one subsequent chapter is explicit.  
> \- Flames and nasty criticisms are ignored. I gleefully roast marshmallows over such. I do take constructive advice if you say it nicely.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

oOo

_we're able to be just you and me_

__

__

_within these walls_

oOo

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

The candle on the table beside the bed guttered slightly; it was well past midnight.

He sat with his back to the headboard and pillows, the sheet pooling low on his lap. His right leg was bent with his right arm across it, while his left hand was tangled in her silky hair. Darkness warred within him, as it always did. But he mastered it and pushed the dark thoughts aside, for he had more important ones to consider: the recent events that were still unfolding... still swirling into being...

It was a strange help, coming here. It always cleared his head some to be with her, though he never would have guessed such a thousand years earlier when he was created to destroy her kind. But... to merge with her, to scrape his teeth along her jaw and neck, to feel her nails pierce his back in a haze of pleasure... to hear the way she said his name like a prayer to the gods... it all settled the bubbling blackness some – like a dim, pretty light gently pressing into the deepest night. And afterwards, he knew he could sit in bed for a while as she slept, and he would have the briefest of moments to think, to piece together all possibilities and future outcomes without interruptions or –

"That's a pensive look."

Startled, he glanced down. The fact that she _wasn't_ asleep was unnerving. He was sure she had been, because her breathing had been so even. But her blue eyes – almost black in the darkness – were watching him closely. He disliked anyone sneaking up on him; few could do it. It bothered him that she had done it.

"Yes." He answered honestly but did not elaborate. His eyes slid away from her, back towards the opposite wall, and released his gentle grip on her hair.

She did not press him for information, but he could feel her eyes on him – boring into him almost like he bored into others when he wished to commit murder.

After a heavy moment, he made his decision. He turned his right palm to face the ceiling.

oOo

It occurred to her that she was probably the only being that had seen him in his human appearance without the clothing that was a part of his essence. His skin was pale and flawless, like perfect marble – but warm like holding one's hands to a fire. He had chosen a human body that was lean yet well-muscled and defined beneath the clothing, as though carved by an expert artist. It was truly a beautiful illusion. Whoever had said that beauty equaled goodness? She wasn't sure if they were right or wrong, anymore. She was tired of trying to place everything within the definitions of _black and white_ , when it seemed everything was _grayer_ than one color or the other.

His eyes narrowed. They were as beautiful as the rest of him, like priceless gemstones, and she didn't see them often – though, probably more than anyone else in the world. They both thrilled and terrified her at the same time. More than once, she'd thought something ridiculously prosaic about his eyes, like _I could die happy looking into them_ and really, she knew better than to think something so _asinine_. Because the truth was, she should hate him. She _had_ hated him once – _passionately_ – and not even all that long ago. And secondly, he _could_ kill her in less than a second if he really wished to, and she had no idea if the status quo would change one day. A part of her desperately hoped not, because she had grown used to his presence in her life.

She watched as he turned his palm upwards, lazily yet effortlessly, as he did practically everything. Magical, incandescent sparks suddenly illuminated the darkness of her bedroom in glittering gold, bright pink, gaudy purple, and inky black. They swirled and melted beautifully, seamlessly, into a little flat metal disc with an emblem stamped on the front. The magic faded away as quickly as summoned and the candlelight caught the crest.

Her breath hitched slightly. "What is that?"

"Lord Beastmaster's seal," he said quietly.

Startled, she asked, "And what exactly, are you going to do with it? What does it do?"

He ran his thumb over the edge. It must have been sharp, because it sliced his skin, and dark black oozed out. He smeared his blood (or whatever monsters had) across the small disc, and then he lifted his palm.

The disc immediately vanished, and instantly, the entire room – no, the entire _house_ – seemed to shimmer and ripple with beautiful, dim, dark purple sparkles that sank into the wood itself, into the beams and floor and walls, as though absorbing his magic. She stared, momentarily transfixed, her eyes readjusting to the darkness as the pops of little lights faded.

Watching her closely from the side with open eyes, he smiled like the predator he was. He slid his teeth and tongue along the slight cut on his thumb, enjoying the taste of his own blood, and he said, "I affixed it over the front door."

She sat up, not bothering with the sheet because... well, just because. There was just no need or reason. She slid closer, resting her arm and head on his shoulder, her hair spilling like gold over his body, her breasts pressed against his left arm.

"And why," she asked, with a hint of her usual loftiness and huffiness, "would I want a filthy monster's seal over my _front door_?"

His eyes flashed at her, those beautiful amethyst eyes that could cut like the sharpest sword, and his smile faded. After a long pause, he answered cryptically, "Insurance."


	2. Chapter 2

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

oOo

_you know I want you_

_it's not a secret I try to hide_

oOo

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

He pinned her wrists to the floor with magic, leaving his hands free to slide up her torso. She arched and let her breath out, then sucked in another and closed her eyes in pleasure as he cradled her breasts and pinched her nipples sharply.

She gasped his name, lolling her head back and forth; she arched her hips and her legs curled around his waist.

He could see why humans enjoyed it so much. It was like the hum of raw magic, pooling sharply in his abdomen and coiling to his extremities. It was an addiction, like killing. He bent to suckle her breasts, dragging his mouth and teeth between them and down to her stomach. Her breathing grew harsh and her legs clenched, then unclenched and spread wide as she cried out for him. He could smell her arousal – it was powerful, like a drug seeped too long in warm tea, and he closed his eyes as he pumped himself once before sliding gloriously into her enveloping heat.

Her breasts thrust upwards, her arms straining against the magical bonds as he stabbed into her again and again, rolling his hips into hers. She pushed against him in desperation, and he opened his eyes to watch her. Her eyes remained closed – a reversal of roles – and she moved and writhed beneath him as though in a trance, her hair spread across the floorboards, shining in the starlight. His lips curved in sadistic amusement. The Fire Dragon King would be rolling in his lowly grave to see one of his little priestesses like this, racked and wanton on the floor, fucking the most powerful demon in the world beneath the five greater demons, as though her life depended on him.

Though, really, it kind of did.

He cast a release spell silently and the magic holding her down dissipated. Without warning, as though she'd been waiting for it, she sat up, pushing him back on his heels, straddling his lap. She was fully seated on his throbbing cock, and her lips found his. Her nails tore down his cheeks, his neck, his back, and chest as she thrust her tongue into his mouth. He stood easily and slammed her into the nearest wall. Her legs wrapped around his waist again even as the board cracked down the middle – he made a dim, mental note to repair it later even as she cried out and clenched around him.

" _Oh gods_ ," she gasped, her breath coming out in hitches.

He slammed her into the wall again, pushing as far as he could within her, and felt her come a second time around him. Her eyes rolled back and her throat, long and graceful and exposed, presented itself to him. His sharp teeth bit lightly into her flesh. The wound was slight and would heal quickly, but he licked the blood eagerly, tasting the sting of copper along his tongue as he rolled his hips into hers and heard the wall splinter again. Thank hell he had cast a Silencing charm before they started; otherwise, they would wake the whole house.

" _A-ah, Xellos...!_ " She cried out and spasmed a third time. Her nipples were hard against his chest and her hips slipped against his fingers.

She was so much _more_ than a human, so much _more_ than any being he had ever known, and he grit his teeth and buried his face against her shoulder as he came within her, intense magic coursing through them. He managed to remain standing as she went boneless and limp in his grip, her body coated in an opaline sheen of sweat that shined in the moonlight streaming in from the window.

After a long, silent moment in which only their ragged breath was audible, she giggled softly into his shoulder and whispered, " _Gods_. That was _brilliant_."

He felt a shiver of excitement and pride at her words, that he could make her say them. When only a year ago, she would have killed him with her bare hands if she'd been given the chance.

They'd come a long way in a year's time.

Breathing hard, pressing a slow kiss to his neck, she added in a murmur, "Don't forget to fix the wall before you leave. You forgot last time."

His own laugh was breathless and barely audible as a metaphorical wind swept through his mind, the cobwebs and jumbled thoughts clearing instantly as they always did after their trysts. She was really fucking amazing, but he would never admit it to her unless his life depended on it.


	3. Chapter 3

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

oOo

_fate is pulling you miles away_

_and out of reach from me_

oOo

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

She closed the shop every afternoon for one hour in order to have a proper afternoon tea, and she always retreated to the small rear kitchen for peace and quiet. Jillas and Gravos (neither of whom liked tea very much, to her great annoyance) watched the egg during this time, leaving her in relative serenity to relax and breathe. It was the one time of the day when her subordinates weren't around, when she wasn't watching the egg, and when there weren't any customers. She could have grown to love teatime, really. And she would have, if it hadn't been for _him_.

Somehow, he learned of her afternoon ritual extremely early on in her new life and he started appearing to take tea _with_ her. It pissed her off greatly at first, but as the months went by, she slowly grew accustomed to it. They were now at the point that if he _didn't_ show (which sometimes happened, though rarely), she grew worried. Which was ridiculously silly. Why on earth should she be worried about a bloody _monster_ who could obviously take care of himself?

She took the kettle off the stove and turned to the table to find him sitting there – he had materialized behind her back silently, as he always did, and she hadn't even known it. That always rubbed her the wrong way.

"You could at least announce your presence," she snapped, for what was likely the thousandth time in their relationship (or whatever the hell you called whatever they were mixed up together in), as she poured the boiling water into his cup a little too forcefully. Some of it splashed over the side onto the saucer.

He paid it no mind and merely smiled at her. A teabag materialized in his fingers. "But it's so much fun to _surprise_ you."

She scowled and poured her own cup, returned the kettle to the stove to simmer, and then went back to the table to select her tea. The table was situated by a pretty window that overlooked the garden on the side of the house and a part of the little village a short distance away, and it was a beautiful sort of day. He had opened the window for them, too. She sighed as she soaked up the sunlight and waited for her tea to seep.

After a long moment of heavy silence, she remembered something important and said, "By the way... You never did tell me what that seal _does_ , exactly. And _don't_ say it's a secret. If it is, just don't say anything at all."

And he _didn't_ say anything for at least a full minute. She was just about to huff and tell him to get the hell out of her house if he was going to be _that_ way, when he finally murmured, "It creates a barrier around your property, Filia. I thought you had at least guessed _that_."

He picked up a spoon and stirred his tea as she turned her eyes from the window to him in surprise. She couldn't believe he had actually answered.

He went on thoughtfully, "It means the only monsters who can enter here are myself and Lord Beastmaster. No other monster would dare enter cross the threshold with my magic protecting this place. It's something I've been considering for some time, to be honest. I probably should have done it sooner."

She blanched. "But... why would I want _Lord Beastmaster in my house?!_ " she stammered. The very _thought_ unnerved her. She _never_ wanted to meet Greater Beast Zelas Metallium if she could avoid it.

He waved one hand carelessly, as he did when he wanted to irritate her and everyone else. "Oh, I highly doubt that would _ever_ happen!" He sounded greatly amused at the idea as he picked up his cup. "She has far more important matters to attend to."

"But it _could_ happen," she growled, clutching her cup tightly. " _Xellos_ – !"

"I told you last night," he said shortly, growing serious for a second. His sharp eyes opened to glare at her over the rim of the cup, flashing in the sunlight. "It's _insurance_."

Her breath caught in her chest at the sight of those piercing eyes meeting hers. She managed to ask, "Insurance for whom? You, or me?"

" _Both of us._ " He looked highly annoyed that she couldn't figure that out on her own. "And Val," he added, almost as an afterthought. Which shouldn't have been an afterthought at all, she thought furiously. He was practically Val's father, considering he'd cast half of the magic that made it possible for Val's rebirth.

She sat back in her chair. For a moment, they were in a long stalemate of sorts, each glaring at the other. If she really thought about it logically, the whole thing _was_ in her favor. It was a serious measure of protection, for she couldn't fathom that many monsters would _willingly_ cross Greater Beast Zelas Metallium or her General-Priest, who was technically the most powerful monster in the world under the five subordinates of Shabranigdo. To cross either would equal death, and Xellos would enjoy killing someone who deliberately crossed him. It was like some weird, reverse marriage proposal. She almost snorted at the idea, but didn't.

Instead, she said in a clipped, resigned tone, "I suppose I should thank you."

He smirked at her huffiness. "You should. I'm doing you a favor, Filia. And I did it without expecting anything in return! That should account for _something_."

She rolled her eyes just _because_ – because he was insufferable, and she wanted him to know it. "I highly doubt _that_. You'll come up with something you need me for later, I'm sure... and remind me of this, then."

He chuckled. "Goodness, you are cynical, aren't you?"

"You made me this way, remember?"

"I'm sure it was a personality flaw before _I_ entered the picture."

"No, I'm sure it's because of _you_."

He didn't respond to that, despite his smile. But slowly, the smile faded, and they fell silent for several long moments. Normally, they spent the afternoon jesting – a long, unbroken string of banal banter, each trying to one-up the other. It was odd that he wasn't doing it more today; and she remembered how serious he had been the night before after they'd had sex on half the surfaces in her bedroom. It was a wonder she could walk at all today. But she knew better than to ask what was bothering him. He wouldn't tell her what was on his mind. He rarely did.

Yet, he surprised her yet again.

Out of nowhere, he murmured, "Have you ever heard of sorcerer named The Red Priest, Rezo?"

Slightly taken aback, she said, "Yes, but I only learned of him after the barrier fell. That was one reason the Knight of Ceifeed suggested Lina for the Dark Star mission, actually."

"Hm. And... have you ever heard of an object called the Hellmaster's Jar?" he asked.

She frowned. "The Hellmaster's Jar? Is it... connected with the Demon Lord Fibrizo, somehow?"

"Well... it's similar. The idea is based on Lord Fibrizo's techniques, but it is human magic. Powerful, of course, but human."

"What does it do?" she asked curiously.

"It seals part of a soul inside of a jar so that the soul can be awoken later if the original body is destroyed."

Her brows knit together. "Did Rezo create such a jar?"

"He did." Xellos sounded frustrated, as though there was a piece of a puzzle that he was missing, and it was driving him nuts. It _must_ have been driving him nuts, or he wouldn't have brought it up to _her_. He never talked about his missions or his tasks with her. Or anyone else, for that matter.

She asked hesitatingly, "Why would he create something like that?"

"I have some theories, but I'm not entirely sure. Fortunately, Lina is involved – another _precaution_ , if you will, but it's still all rather vexing. Why _would_ The Red Priest go to such lengths? Yet... he apparently did... Because there _is_ a jar, and he must have successfully transferred his soul into it," he went on, almost as though to himself. "Because the seal around Taforashia is still intact."

He had lost her again – she had never heard of Taforashia, either. She asked quietly, rubbing her finger along the edge of her saucer, "So... what exactly are you afraid of? It must be _something_. It's rare to see you so frustrated."

He was silent for a long moment before he scoffed, "I'm _concerned_ – not afraid – of what _else_ might be in the jar."

Her mind went blank. _What else could be in the jar?_

"What else... could be in the jar? What else _could_ be in the jar?"

She knew very little of Rezo, except what Luna had told her – that the Red Priest was born blind and spent decades trying to find a cure for his sight, to the point that he eventually dabbled in the darkest of magic to achieve his goals. And, when he finally thought he had succeeded in opening his eyes, it was to find that their blindness had sealed one-seventh of the Demon King Shabranigdu –

She suddenly gasped out loud, her hand flying to her mouth, and she sat up straighter in her chair. " _Oh! Oh gods!_ Xellos – !"

He said nothing.

"Do you really think that could be _true_?" she sputtered, staring at him in horror.

He twitched. "It's just a suspicion I have. But if it _is_ true... well, _that's_ why I need Lina. There are things that even _I_ can't do." He seemed highly frustrated at _that_ , too.

Small wonder – he was incredibly powerful, but even high-level monsters were limited in a few respects. She made the jump instantly, because he had mentioned Lina.

_Chaos Magic._

She felt cold at the thought and urged, "What about fusion magic? Could we try that, instead?" She couldn't _believe_ she was offering, but she had to say _something_ to stop this. "She _can't_ cast _that spell_ – she could destroy the _whole world_ – !"

"You and I are not powerful enough, Filia, even with fusion magic, to destroy a piece of Shabranigdu." His voice was sharp, final. "The Giga Slave is a risk that must be taken if my suspicion is correct. But, she has Lei Magnus's talisman, and the Mother of All Things seems to have a strange fondness for Lina Inverse. I think the odds are highly in her favor to control the spell and cast it correctly. Regardless, if a piece of Shabranigdu is reborn with Rezo, it will most certainly break free with the intention of destroying the world. And the Giga Slave is the only thing that can destroy a piece of Shabranigdu. I cannot destroy him, and neither can my superior. There is no other way."

Another thought flitted through her mind, and she looked at him in confusion and irritation. "But isn't that what the monster race _wants_? Utter destruction?"

He opened his eyes again, and they flashed in glittering, furious defiance. "No. It is _not_. The monster race _wants_ the freedom to _choose_. To have free will. There's a difference. It _is_ true that for several thousand years, the five demon lords under Lord Shabranigdo wanted to revert the world to the Sea of Chaos so the monsters could live there in triumph. Reviving a piece of Lord Shabranigdu was part of that goal, but in reality, the Kōma War set the monster race back quite a bit. Lei Magnus is sealed away, along with that seventh of Shabranigdu. And just a four years ago, Lina Inverse destroyed the second seventh of Shabranigdu that resided within Rezo the Red Priest – proving, most shockingly, that a human could achieve such an incredible, previously unheard-of feat." He paused, then went on, "However, _if_ a bit of the demon king was sealed away with a Rezo in a Hellmaster's Jar, that creates a very different problem. If this possible fragment of Shabranigdu is reborn when Rezo regains a body, it would actually be quite similar to how the Demon Dragon King Gaav was reborn as a part-human. And _that_ would be a... concern. It wouldn't be the same Shabranigdu that Lina fought before; it would be a different being."

"A different _being_?"

"Yes, and I doubt he would have Shabranigdu's original desires. Which is _not_ what the monster race wants." He frowned, and added quietly, "Besides, Dark Star gave us something else to think about."

"Something else? _What_ else?"

"That... is a secret."

"Of course it is," she growled angrily. "You _do_ realize this is sounding more and more horrifying by the second, right? A piece of Shabranigdu sealed inside a jar? A piece that has changed and morphed somehow, into a different sort of being, despite being _sealed in a jar?_ "

"I am more aware of that than even _you_ know," he said, a hard edge to his voice.

She felt sick just thinking about it, but there was little she could do. And he was right – he was a General as well as a Priest, so he probably was hyper-aware of the situation. Weakly, she asked, "Do... you need me to do anything?"

He smiled at her. "I need you to stay here, Filia."

Angrily, she snapped sarcastically, "Why, because I'm not _useful?_ Because I'm a weak little _Golden Dragon?_ "

"No," he snarled, looking irritated again. "Because you are more use to me _here_."

"Use to _you?_ And what exactly is it that you want me to do, Xellos?" Her temper was getting away from her, now. "How am I of _use_ to you in this insanity?"

"I need you here _just in case_ ," he said evasively. "And, truthfully, I may not need you at all. Hopefully not."

"Just in case? In case of _what?_ "

"Oh, my goodness, look at the time!" He reverted back to being a trickster again, acting a fool to distract her with a silly grin and closed eyes. "I'm afraid I have so many things to do today. As enjoyable as this conversation has been, I simply must go!"

She was suddenly left alone in her kitchen, staring as magic sparkles faded where he had been sitting across from her.


	4. Chapter 4

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

oOo

_maybe the world could be ours_

_tonight_

oOo

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

She awoke suddenly, startled awake by some unknown thing. The hairs on the back of her neck prickled and she sat up in bed, looking around the dark, seemingly empty room. Seeing nothing, she shook herself and got up to check on Val, just a few steps away, as a precaution. Everything was as it should be: the protective spells she had placed around the egg that night were still intact. So she went into the hall and peeked into the other bedroom - but Gravos and Jillas were snoring away in their beds, completely oblivious.

Frowning, she backed out of their room and closed the door quietly. She couldn't imagine what woke her. Certainly not a monster; Xellos had put the seal on her door just a few weeks earlier.

When she turned around however, she nearly screamed. Xellos clapped a hand to her mouth before she could do so, and he pulled her back into her room. Then he cast a Silencing spell that glittered around them before he released her mouth and said cheerfully, "Really. You'll wake the whole village, Fils. You've got to stop screaming at every little – "

She smacked his arm furiously and snarled loudly, "It's _your fault_ I scream all the time! You just appear out of _damn well nowhere_ when I least expect it!"

"Well, after a year, one would _think_ you'd be used to it," he retorted. "Or are all Golden Dragons so infernally jumpy?"

"What do you want?" she yelled, annoyedly grateful for the Silencing spell.

"I just came by to see you," he said, as though this was the most normal thing to do at 2:00 in the bloody morning.

"It's the middle of the night! _What do you want?_ "

His eyes flashed open and his cape, shirt, and gloves melted away, disappearing as he reached for her. Before she could protest, he pulled her to him and kissed her hard, slanting his mouth across hers. Her fingers curled into his chest and she moaned softly into the kiss.

After a long moment, she mock-shoved his chest and whispered, "You can't just come here whenever you want, expecting me to give in to you."

"But you do. Every time. Why _is_ that? Making up for lost time? Back when you were a repressed, celibate priestess?"

That didn't even deserve a verbal reply. Instead, she pulled him down and kissed him again, relishing the feel of his hands bunching up her night dress. Going to hell was the least of her concerns at this point. She was absolutely addicted to him. And yes, she thought, as he cupped her arse and pulled her against his hardness, she supposed she _was_ making up for lost time when she'd been a repressed, celibate priestess.


	5. Chapter 5

**Notes for the Chapter:**

>  **Author's Note:** The inspiration for this chapter came from a beautiful fanart I found online of [Filia healing an injured Xellos](https://www.zerochan.net/417188). I wanted to explore that idea, and of course, _Evolution-R_ provided a perfect opportunity. It struck me that Xellos healed very quickly after the final battle - between the time Lina cast the Giga Slave to the point where the group was healing themselves at dawn.
> 
> I couldn't find the artist for the fanart when I searched, but if someone knows, I'll be glad to credit them further.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

oOo

_it feels impossible_

_it's not impossible_

_is it impossible?_

_say that it's possible_

oOo

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

She was sitting in her living room, going over the ledgers for the day in front of the fire, while Jillas polished a gun and Gravos worked on a scarf he was knitting, when it happened. Without warning, in a shower of sparkles, _he_ was suddenly on the floor. Facedown and...

Filia screamed and clapped a hand to her mouth in horror as her ledger fell, unheeded off her desk. Her subordinates also yelled and jumped up, though they didn't dare come closer.

"Forgive me," he croaked, cracking one eye to look up at her. "I... must look a bit of a mess..."

His entire body was... _gone_. It was just... _gone_.

How could it be _gone?_ What had _happened?_

Shaking, Filia dropped to her knees and gingerly rolled him onto what should have been his back. His arms, legs, and half his torso were missing. Completely _missing_.

She knew he could be harmed by beings more powerful than he was, but _this_... This was _horrifying_. She felt positively _sick_. Then, too, there weren't many beings in the world more powerful than he was! She pressed her hand hard against her mouth and bit the inside of her lip to keep herself sane. The _only_ thing she could think of was the piece of Shabranigdu supposedly sealed inside Rezo's jar, but Jillas and Gravos had no idea about that, so she kept silent.

He gave her a weak smile and asked, "Resurrection or Healing – can you cast either on me?"

Her hand dropped away from her mouth as the question galvanized her into speaking. "Does that even _work_ on a monster?" she cried out, staring at him as her thought process warped at the very idea. _Could_ one cast holy healing spells on mazoku? Oh, hell, she didn't know! It wasn't exactly something she'd ever asked the Supreme Elder, damn it! Or even dreamed she would have use of at any point in her life!

"Well... we won't know unless you try." He gritted his teeth against the pain. "I can heal on the astral plane, but it would take a lot longer, and I need to heal as quickly as possible to get back – "

"How did you even _get_ like this?!" Her hands were trembling as she raked her fingers into her hair, trying to distract herself with slight physical pain to avoid hyperventilating at his condition. "There's hardly anything _left_! And how many times have you teleported since... _this?_ " She gestured wildly to his missing body.

"Three or four times."

He ignored the first question completely, and his breathing was growing more labored with every second.

_Ceifeed_. Three or four _times?_ He had likely used too much of his magic. They were on borrowed time, now. Could he even make it to the astral plane to regenerate?

It suddenly occurred to her that _this_ was why he placed the seal above her door – to prevent any beings from following him here in case he needed her to heal him. _You are more use to me here_ , he'd said. She was out of the way here, out of the battle, but within a safe-house if he needed it. No one would interrupt them while she cast a healing spell. It was a contingency plan of sorts, because only Lord Beastmaster's General-Priest would come up with a contingency plan in case he was partially destroyed by a deranged, regenerated seventh of the most powerful demon lord in the world.

Filia closed her eyes against the sickening sight of his heavily injured appearance and took a deep breath. She _would_ make this work. She _had_ to. Even if restoring monsters to life wasn't the intended use of Holy Magic, she would use it for that purpose anyway. It just depended on how she channeled the magic as to whether it would work or not. And she _would_ channel it correctly.

White light burst around them, blinding and warm, enveloping them like a sheet. It felt heavenly.

_The universe be damned_ , she thought furiously, her power surging through her veins and blood and out of her hands. She was already going to some proverbial hell regardless; she was _sleeping_ with him, for Ceifeed's sake! Whether he loved her or not, whether he was just using her or not, it didn't matter. She _needed_ him in her life. Healing him would just piss off a few entities higher up, and she didn't even really care about _that_ , to tell the truth. Served them right, really.


	6. Chapter 6

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oOo

_you'd be the one I was meant to find_

oOo

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Sex and love weren't an action and a concept that had crossed his mind very often during the last thousand years. After all, monsters didn't procreate the way humans and dragons did for offspring. If a high-ranking demon needed a subordinate, they simply created one from their energy and magic. Monsters didn't need to engage in the ritualistic acts of rutting to reproduce. If they engaged in sex at all, it was only to satisfy lust, or to reinforce submission and obedience. He had never really seen the appeal on that level, either. If he needed to browbeat a lesser monster into submission, torture worked wonders. _Mating_ was just not something that he cared about, other than how various human romantic relationships could be manipulated for his own purposes. For instance, he knew Gourry Gabriev and Lina Inverse would always protect each other, because deep down, they loved each other - and their emotions could be exploited if needed. Lord Fibrizo had proven time and again that exploiting human emotions was highly effective. Humans were really wonderfully easy to twist and use, and that was all that particularly mattered.

Then, too, there was the fact that one of the purposes of his own initial creation had been to destroy dragons during the Kōma War. It was a part of his makeup: an intense hatred and disgust for Ceifeed's servants. He'd never expected it to alter. But Valgaav-Dark Star had caused him to pause and reconsider.

Why _were_ they fighting? After Valgaav fused with Dugradigdu and Vorfeed within the combined being of Dark Star, he'd announced that the two adversaries had revealed their concerns to him: that a higher being, presumably the Lord of Nightmares, had created worlds in which shinzoku and mazoku were engrained with the desire to fight against each other. The only reason that the two sides fought at all, they'd claimed, was because the Lord of Nightmares decreed it so within their designs.

If that was truly the case, then they were all just pawns in the hands of the Lord of Nightmares – mere playthings for her enjoyment. It was dangerous to think that way, because the Mother of All Things could destroy him without second thought for rebelling against her plans ( _if_ he ever met her again, that was - though, considering how often he was around Lina Inverse, it was a very distinct, unnerving possibility).

Despite that, he still couldn't _help_ thinking about it after the Dark Star Incident. The monster race claimed they wanted free will to choose their destinies, but if the Lord of Nightmares was prodding them towards destruction, forever nudging them to fight against Ceifeed's forces, then they weren't really free at all, were they? None of them were; neither dragons or monsters. None except humans, who were truly the only beings with the choice to pick either good or evil. The whole idea set his teeth on edge. Did it mean that the Lord of Nightmares favored humans above shinzoku and mazoku, by giving _them_ the real freedom?

He daren't speak of it aloud to his superiors, because it was just too risky - but eventually, about two months after the Dark Star Incident, Lord Beastmaster realized something was amiss. She commented that she was damned sick of seeing that new, thoughtful-yet-annoyed look on his face, because it was somehow worse than his constantly cheerful countenance. _Only_ then did he finally admit (albeit very carefully) what Valgaav had told them during the last battle against Dark Star. Along with an apology for not telling her sooner - insisting that he had simply wanted to come to terms with the information before sharing it.

She said nothing for a long time. He knew that, like himself, she was mulling it over in her mind, but the wait was sheer agony. He had essentially revealed that he was merely _thinking_ about going against the purpose for his creation, and for that alone he could technically be destroyed.

After what seemed like an eon, Zelas said humorously, "Hn. I do believe you're rebelling!"

He twitched at her amusement, but remained silent.

She, on the other hand, looked gleeful – far more than she should have for something of such weighty proportions. With a twitch of sarcasm and dark hilarity, she leaned back in her throne, one leg over the armrest, and mused, "So, have we reached what humans call the 'dreaded teenaged years', then?"

"Forgive me, Lord Beastmaster. I don't mean... What I _mean_ is..." He stammered over his words, which was most unlike him, but he wasn't sure what to say. Regardless of anything else, he would have to submit to her. She was his creator. If she chose to destroy him for thinking such dissenting thoughts about the Lord of Nightmares and the grand master plan of the universe, there was nowhere he could run or hide to escape, and there was very little he could say to dissuade her.

She surveyed him thoughtfully, swirling her cigarette holder in idle patterns. After an harrowing moment, she said flippantly, "Oh, do stop looking so guilty, Xellos. I'm not going to destroy you – you're far too valuable to me and it would take way too much of my energy to create anything _remotely_ close to a suitable replacement. Besides, you've given me something new and intriguing to think about. To be honest, I haven't had much new to think about in the last millennia, and it's a rather interesting concept, this." She sounded quite piqued, as though the Study of Philosophy was going to be her newest hobby. He wouldn't put it past her. She had strange whims, his master did.

However, even with Lord Beastmaster's reassurance that he wasn't going to die an immediate death, the whole thing was still wretchedly confusing within his own mind. If he truly wanted free will, did that include things like the freedom to choose things like sex and love – if he so desired? _Did_ he desire those things? He hadn't been created to _love_ – he had been created to _destroy_ – but his very creation was a part of the Lord of Nightmares' personal agenda for their world: good versus evil, shinzoku versus mazoku. He wanted to discover his _own_ wishes and capitalize on the whole, larger concept of free will. He had a nasty feeling he'd been misunderstanding it from the very beginning, and he hated to be wrong about _anything_.

And every time he materialized in Filia's quaint kitchen with its ruffled curtains and pretty window overlooking the garden, the more he thought about it. Because Filia, too, had given him plenty to think about – possibly from the moment she denounced the Fire Dragon King, his followers, and stepped down from her role as a dragon priestess. Certainly every time she yelled at him to get the hell out of her house, to stop harassing her, and to stop asking her about the egg. Each time, he felt his projected body flush with something he couldn't quite explain. She got his blood going, even if it was only by arguing with him. Yet, the desire to destroy her grew less with each day; the desire to learn more about her nagged in the back of his brain as she threw vases and teacups and teapots at his head. Once, Gourry had commented he must be _really old_ if he had been alive for a thousand years... but Lord Beastmaster was actually more correct. Given how long monsters lived, he probably was reaching a stage equal to the one when humans started experiencing lust and sexual desire.

Hell's fucking bells.

The day Filia finally poured water into a teacup for him (despite threatening to pour the boiling water in his _lap_ ), about three months after the Dark Star Incident, he felt a surge of tingling victory. He _would_ succeed in this. He had all the time in the world, really - given their extensive lifespans.

"I know you're just here because you're waiting for the egg to hatch," she'd growled that day, sitting opposite him and radiating fury. "I know you have some evil plan involving Val, because he was reborn as the result of fusion magic. You can't fool me, _namagomi_."

He smiled enigmatically. He had been created to kill dragons, to destroy all manuscripts of the Claire Bible, to further the mazoku agenda, and to help revert the world to chaos... but it seemed, now, that there was more to existing than just _that_. Maybe he had just been waiting for _her_ to show him more, through the Dark Star Mission. Maybe _she_ was what he had been meant to find all along. Maybe she was going to help him to rebel properly, like young humans did when they reached a certain age. He did enjoy human ways, after all.

So he kept toying with the idea when he wasn't otherwise occupied with the tasks that Lord Beastmaster set for him. _Could_ a mazoku learn to love? It really was an unusual thought.


	7. Chapter 7

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oOo

_who can stop me if I decide_

_that you're my destiny?_

oOo

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She could well remember the first time he kissed her, because she had never been kissed before. It had been about four months after the Dark Star Incident. She had settled in nicely in the village she had chosen, and her antique shop was doing well.

Every weekend, however, she closed the shop for a few hours to go to the village market and purchase items she needed for the next week. As usual, Gravos followed behind her, carrying her purchases, while Jillas remained at the shop and house to watch Val.

That particular day, she had almost completed her shopping and was at the last booth – one that sold produce – when the young human male vendor started flirting with her over a barrel of squash. She paid him little heed, thinking only of getting back to the shop and making certain Val was safe, when to her utter shock, the young man leaned over and kissed her on the cheek without asking.

It caught her completely off guard and, supremely infuriated and flustered, she turned like a whip and punched him, which sent him flying backwards into a display of potatoes. Needless to say, the entire incident hadn't ended well for anyone, least of all Filia. At the sudden commotion, other stall owners came running and other customers either hurried off or thronged closer to see what had happened. The impudent young man howled loud enough for the entire world to hear that he hadn't meant anything by it and besides, he sure as hell didn't want her _anyways_ if she hit like a _man_! A couple of stout market men pulled him to his feet, while chuckling at his bad luck and telling him to stop flirting with the girls and do his job. He ignored them and went on raving that something must be seriously wrong with her, since she'd hit a guy who simply kissed her cheek!

Upset and mortified at what she'd done, at the thought of people disliking to her because she reacted so rashly, Filia had fled back to her shop and house, nearly in tears.

Gravos, on the other hand, had been highly amused – he'd started laughing the moment the potatoes went flying and he was still laughing when he entered the kitchen to find her pulling out her tea things. Jillas came downstairs at that moment, and to Filia's embarrassment, he innocently asked what the heck was so funny.

It was Gravos who explained (still laughing, much to her irritation), and at the end of the tale, he cackled, "Brazen little punk! He deserved to get hit! He didn't even _ask_ her first!"

Jillas was also laughing at that point, as though this story was the funniest thing he'd heard in months. Gasping for breath and holding his stomach, he chortled, "You should go back there, boss! Show him how it's _really_ done! Plant a big one smacker on his lips, you should! That'd teach him!" He elbowed Gravos at the idea.

Gravos had tears streaming down his face. "HA! That moron wouldn't know what to do if she did!"

Filia was well aware that she was bright red. She ducked her head to avoid their gazes as she put the kettle on the stove. She knew they were laughing to try and cheer her up, rather than make her feel worse, but it wasn't working.

They laughed for another few seconds before they realized, quite suddenly, that she was too silent. The laughter died instantly, and the two looked at each other with uncertainty before Jillas stammered, "Wait... You mean... you've never kissed anyone before either, boss?"

A couple of tears slipped out and she felt instantly miffed and frustrated that she was crying over something so _stupid_ in the first place. She resorted to old tactics: she grabbed a teacup and threw it at them, yelling at both of them to just leave her alone for a while. They tripped over each other and out of her kitchen like lightning, claiming they would go check on the egg and apologizing profusely for upsetting her even more.

And just like that, she was alone in the kitchen. She suddenly felt _ancient_. Truthfully, when compared to the human who had tried to catch her attention, she _was_ ancient. She was five centuries older than he was. It was foolish in the extreme for any dragon to fall in love with a human, and all dragons knew it. Human life spans were too short, and most humans – even the males – were too fragile compared to her. Her strength far outstripped theirs, as she'd proven so foolishly today. Heck, she had even sent Gourry Gabriev flying with her mace before, and he was one of the strongest human males she knew!

She buried her face in her hands in shame and sadness. She supposed that love would always elude her – which was _really_ silly of her to think such hopelessly romantic things, because she had been a priestess, for gods' sakes, and she had taken a vow of celibacy! Besides, those under the Fire Dragon King were dead, and the other Golden Dragons throughout the world had likely written her off as an outcast for taking responsibility for the egg and renouncing her clan, among other things. It wasn't as if she had suitors lining up on the doorstep, and she probably never would. She knew, deep down, that such a thing was utterly impossible. She had never cared _before_ whether she received a kiss or not, so why was it so important _now?_

"My, my! So, the poor little Golden Dragon has never been _kissed_ , has she...? What a shame! And isn't that just so _typical_ – and so... _pious_!"

The very voice had rubbed like a serrated knife against every fucking raw nerve in her body. She was already in a foul mood and the last being she wanted to see was the monster who had destroyed half of her race, and who was only hanging around her home these days for _gods only knew_ what evil, twisted purpose that would eventually involve her and her adopted son.

Furiously, she turned to throw a piece of crockery in his direction, snarling with sheer hatred as she did so. Even if she missed – and she would... she always did, because he always vanished onto the astral plane before the crockery could make contact – it would still give her perverse, wicked pleasure to throw something at his insufferable purple head. She _loathed_ purple, she might add, when she hadn't cared one way or the other about the color before the Dark Star incident.

As usual, he moved faster than she did, blurring through space to reach her, even as the crockery sailed through the air and shattered against the wall. Before she knew it, he had pinned her into the counter.

"What, priestesses of the Fire Dragon King weren't allowed to kiss the _big bad boy dragons_ , were they? Might get _pregnant_ if you did?" he teased, almost nose to nose with her.

"Just leave me alone, damn it! You _know_ I had to remain celibate as a priestess, so of _course_ I've never been kissed! Just _leave me alone!_ " Furiously, she sobbed and pushed against him in horrified humiliation, when suddenly – out of _nowhere_ – he leaned in, fast as a snake, and kissed her on the lips.

It was _nothing_ like the human boy's kiss, which had been slobbery and wet and disgusting against her cheek. Instead, it surged with searing magic that spiraled all the way down her body to her very toes. She went rigid with shock as his fingers curled under her chin to keep her from shifting. His lips moved skillfully against hers, teasing and playing, coaxing her along, guiding her into something new. Sparks of desire skated along her skin as his tongue flicked gently against her mouth. She gasped in surprise, the shock molding into something _else_ , and he suddenly slid his tongue _into_ her mouth. But it wasn't _gross_ at all – it was _nothing_ like she expected. It was sheer energy and lust. It was delicious. He tasted like crisp black magic with a hint of something _else_ , something she couldn't define properly, something that was obviously _him_ and no one else. Like black tea that had steeped far longer than it should, perhaps. Her eyes drifted shut and she dimly knew her fingers were tangling into his soft, silky hair to keep him where he was... that purple hair that she had loathed so much only moments before, but now seemed like a perfectly decent, delightful color.

She had no idea how long they stood there in the quiet kitchen, him wordlessly guiding her on how to kiss, making her entire body hum pleasurably, but she knew the moment they stopped because he suddenly pulled back a fraction and murmured, "This has been exceedingly fun, Filia, but I'm afraid I _do_ have other duties to attend to today." His breath was warm against her skin and she licked her lips desperately; he was still so close that her tongue touched his mouth when she wet her lips, and she leaned forward instinctively to kiss him again.

And without warning, he suddenly vanished, leaving her grasping at air. She gasped at the sudden lack of contact and recoiled into the counter, her mind reeling, her thoughts utterly jamming.

She had been _kissing Xellos_.

She sank to her knees like a lifeless doll and slowly touched her lips in shock. They still _tingled_. She could still _taste_ him in her mouth, smell him in her nose, sense the lingering tension that bubbled deliriously in her chest. She could still feel his hands on her body, holding her to keep her in place. And she had _enjoyed_ it. She, a former Priestess of the Fire Dragon King, who had taken a vow of celibacy, had _enjoyed kissing a monster_. Hell's fire, she had been _kissing him back_. She had been _gripping his hair!_

Filia buried her face in her hands.

_Oh gods..._ What had she done?


End file.
